Alphasmart anyone?

[nathanscribe]

I picked up an original 'beige brick' Alphasmart today, more as an experiment than a working tool - and there are some strange things happening that I wonder if anybody here could help with.

The AS is pre-USB and has an ADB port.  I am running this into a Belkin ADB-to-USB convertor, into the USB on my 5-yr-old iBook G4 (OSX 10.3.9).

When plugged in, the AS works just fine as an external keyboard - all the keys function as they should.  It's just like using any other keyboard.  However, the problem is with sending files.  For those who don't know the AS, it shoves files out as ASCII, like some crazed automatic typist.  The issues I'm having are these:

1) Pressing "send" toggles Caps Lock.  This is comfirmed when viewing the Keyboard Viewer in OSX.  Send a file, and it all comes out caps - send again, it's all lower case.  Etc.

2) Shifted characters do not work.  ! comes out as 1, : as ; etc.  I suspect, but don't know enough to say, that this is an issue with ASCII codes or something similar, as the keyboard works fine for regular typing.  Shifted characters appear OK on the AS' own screen, and they also appear fine when directly entered into TextEdit/Word etc. using the AS.

Setting different international layouts makes no difference (no surprise), and changing transmission speed makes no difference.  I have tested this on a PC running XP into Notepad/Wordpad, and the same things happen.

Anybody have any idea what might be going on?  If so, is there a workaround?

Of course, I could just buy a new Alphasmart and be done with it, but I wanted to see if I could get this old one hooked up.

Cheers

N.

[wellington1869]

i had three alphies, I think i posted about them before on GH.  I had the Dana twice, and an older version. I really liked them, and love the concept of a simplified electronic dedicated writing machine. However each time I found I was too dependent on full fledged word processors and internet and other research tools and actually spent very little time on 'pure' writing. So each time I wound up selling it after a few months.

But yea, i love the alphie concept and they're great to type on too (the dana was anyway).

These days if I have pure writing to do I'm more likely to grab my convertible and write with a stylus into onenote. Its handwriting conversion is good enough.

[NamelessPFG]

I've used one before...but that was a Neo. USB. (Would've preferred a Dana, but the high school didn't have 'em.) Thus, I don't know how to help with this case.

They're not bad to type on (if you don't mind laptop-style boards) and have damn near UNLIMITED battery life in practical usage (well, at least the Neo models do; not sure about the Palm OS 4-based Dana ones). Something you can just bang out text on and then have it effectively typed into a computer when you have the chance, then worrying about formatting and such.

Also, funny that one of you mentions OneNote, because it is a GODSEND for me when coupled with a proper Tablet PC. No more paper like I had to put up with in high school, especially in math classes! (Note that I don't use handwriting recognition in the Tablet Input Panel sense with it, but do make use of how it indexes my digital ink to make it searchable. My writing is legible, and I'd rather not finagle with the Math Input Panel or any other input panel if I don't have to.)

[nathanscribe]

Well, I gave up and bought a new one.  Oh well.

[wellington1869]

Well, I gave up and bought a new one.  Oh well.

which one, dana or neo? they're pricy, eh? sweet though, congrats!  If you can write without online research tools then its really the perfect writing machine to get today.

[microsoft windows]

Alpha Smarts are retarded. What's wrong with just a typewriter? Or a computer?

[nathanscribe]

which one, dana or neo? they're pricy, eh? sweet though, congrats!  If you can write without online research tools then its really the perfect writing machine to get today.

Cheers!  Neo2.  I don't need the multi-user features, but the price difference between the Neo and Neo2 was minimal and it's black not green... I think the price is OK if it does what you want.  I'd rather pay whatever for something that does exactly what I need than more, or less, for something I'll not like or use.

Alpha Smarts are retarded. What's wrong with just a typewriter? Or a computer?

In answer to this and the above, I used to take a laptop (5-yr old iBook G4) about but the battery has died and I'm not forking out for a new one, not at £90.  Aside from a new lappy, the alternative was something like an iPad or a netbook of some kind, but I wanted a larger keyboard for not as much money, and nothing too fancy so I'm not either distracted or worried about battery life.  The Neo gives 700 hours on three AAs.  Ha!  And it's a piece of cake to use, weighs almost nothing and is slimmer than a paper folder.

I'd have trouble fitting an old Adler in my bag, I'm afraid.  I do sometimes use a PC running DOS 5.0 and Word 5.5, on which I have not only Doom but Quake and Win 3.1 for when I'm really pushing the boat out...

The screen lacks a backlight, but I'm not sure that matters - don't tend to type in the dark anyway...

[wellington1869]

Cheers!  Neo2.

thats what i would have gotten

I'd rather pay whatever for something that does exactly what I need than more, or less, for something I'll not like or use.

totally agreed

[microsoft windows]

Cheers!  Neo2.  I don't need the multi-user features, but the price difference between the Neo and Neo2 was minimal and it's black not green... I think the price is OK if it does what you want.  I'd rather pay whatever for something that does exactly what I need than more, or less, for something I'll not like or use.



In answer to this and the above, I used to take a laptop (5-yr old iBook G4) about but the battery has died and I'm not forking out for a new one, not at £90.  Aside from a new lappy, the alternative was something like an iPad or a netbook of some kind, but I wanted a larger keyboard for not as much money, and nothing too fancy so I'm not either distracted or worried about battery life.  The Neo gives 700 hours on three AAs.  Ha!  And it's a piece of cake to use, weighs almost nothing and is slimmer than a paper folder.

I'd have trouble fitting an old Adler in my bag, I'm afraid.  I do sometimes use a PC running DOS 5.0 and Word 5.5, on which I have not only Doom but Quake and Win 3.1 for when I'm really pushing the boat out...

The screen lacks a backlight, but I'm not sure that matters - don't tend to type in the dark anyway...

I'd just use a portable manual typewriter. Those things got infinite battery life!

[NamelessPFG]

But manual typewriters are heavy, bulky things generally built into massive suitcases. Not so much portable as luggable.

Speaking of battery life, my decade-old PowerBook G3 would probably cut it if I could be bothered to buy new batteries for it at 8 hours each, and the not-so-reliable DVD-ROM drive could be swapped out for a second battery. The problem is that the batteries are $150 each-more than the laptop itself is worth! (Hell, I might have a problem just trying to find a buyer for this thing.)

Aside from that, it's more than powerful enough for Office 98 and is considered to have one of the best keyboards in laptop history (though I'd say the older WallStreet models have an even better one).

[microsoft windows]

There's nothing good about Apple laptops.

[NamelessPFG]

The trackpads on any 2005 'Book onwards are the only ones I like, and the modern unibody enclosures are nice, but they're still not really enough to win me over. Not when I can't write and draw on them. (And these machines are supposedly catered toward artists? I'm not seeing it.)

That PowerBook was an experiment to familiarize myself with OS 9 and OS X. I just found that it doesn't fit my uses, but I'm sure there's someone out there who wants it...

[nathanscribe]

Yes, well, it's not simply about the bodywork.  Maybe some shallow hipster who wears scarves in summer might be sucked in by that, but for those of us who use and like mac kit for more substantial reasons, it's usually because it works and the software fits our tastes and/or needs better than Windows stuff.  Personally I couldn't give a monkeys how pretty they are.  They're tools like any other computer, and they're not perfect, just like any other computer.

My own switch to macs came from long-term trouble with PCs and I found OSX and various non-MS bits of software to be more in tune with what I want, but that doesn't mean that a well-set-up Windows machine can't work simply and reliably too, or that all MS software is crap - and it gets on my nerves when people polarize mac users as hippy fashionistas or aloof creatives... not that I'm suggesting that's your position.  But I've had far fewer issues with either my old iBook G4 or my Intel iMac than either of my current PCs (XP and DOS 5.0/Win3.1), so I'm sticking to them for work purposes as long as they fit my requirements.

If you want to write and draw on something small and thin, buy a pad of paper... ;-)

Or an Alphasmart, maybe.  ASCII art only though.

[nathanscribe]

I probably came across a bit stroppier than I meant just then.  Happy internets!

[microsoft windows]

Yes, well, it's not simply about the bodywork.  Maybe some shallow hipster who wears scarves in summer might be sucked in by that, but for those of us who use and like mac kit for more substantial reasons, it's usually because it works and the software fits our tastes and/or needs better than Windows stuff.  Personally I couldn't give a monkeys how pretty they are.  They're tools like any other computer, and they're not perfect, just like any other computer.

My own switch to macs came from long-term trouble with PCs and I found OSX and various non-MS bits of software to be more in tune with what I want, but that doesn't mean that a well-set-up Windows machine can't work simply and reliably too, or that all MS software is crap - and it gets on my nerves when people polarize mac users as hippy fashionistas or aloof creatives... not that I'm suggesting that's your position.  But I've had far fewer issues with either my old iBook G4 or my Intel iMac than either of my current PCs (XP and DOS 5.0/Win3.1), so I'm sticking to them for work purposes as long as they fit my requirements.

If you want to write and draw on something small and thin, buy a pad of paper... ;-)

Or an Alphasmart, maybe.  ASCII art only though.

My computers work reliably and they aren't very well set-up (Although their Windows installations are kept nice and clean). And, of course, what else would they use but Windows?

[nathanscribe]

Bet you can't run Logic on DOS 6.0 though!

[NamelessPFG]

If you want to write and draw on something small and thin, buy a pad of paper... ;-)

Oh, did I forget to mention that I hate paper? So kludgy to handle, and all too prone to clutter once you accumulate enough-which happens fast when you're a student. I just find the digital medium more liberating and easier to work with, and availability of electrical power generally isn't an issue with my current lifestyle.

I don't really care as much about the aesthetics, unibody-wise, as much as I do that solid feeling. Tighter tolerances, less loose parts-it exudes quality. (Of course, the PowerBook G3s predate all that by quite some time.)

Anyway, how well do the Alphasmarts work on your 'Books? Specificaly, I don't recall the Neo having an equivalent to the Command/Windows/Super key, but maybe the Neo 2 added one.

[nathanscribe]

Works just fine so far.  The Neo2 has a Command key.  ESC is just to the right of the space bar, and the very top left is On/Off, which initially caused me some frivolity...

It's not bad to type on either.  The manual has a chapter on replacing the keys if they pop off.

[wellington1869]

hows the lcd screen?  

I'm hoping one day e-ink display refresh rates will be fast enough that alphies can use eink screens... that would be pretty awesome...

The reason I liked the Dana is that it basically has a full fledged palm pilot built into it (including downloading and using palm pilot apps).  And wifi.

Palm pilot was one of those devices that may have worked pretty well with current e-ink technology (since the display usually was static). And an e-ink display on the alphasmart Dana would have rocked.

[in actual practice, I rarely used the palm apps on the dana, and rarely used its wifi capability (in theory you could surf the web and check email and even sync with your laptop wirelessly -- but it was way too slow for all but the latter).  But I did appreciate having 6 or 8 lines of text while typing.  On the other hand since I barely used its feature set, a neo would have been even cuter and even more compact, which would have been nice.]

But to give an idea of why I moved away from alphies, not just the need to be online and use several programs simultaneously - but also, i've gotten too used to laptop-sized screens. Even my netbook wasnt good enough for me. That should give you an idea of how much I actually crave useable displays for me work anyway. I sold my netbook cuz screen size wasnt big enough. So these days my "portable writing machine" dreams involve thin and light but 'real' laptops. But that means over $1000 in price and at least 4 lbs and pretty lousy battery life. Oh well.

But I do love the Neo's concept. Its a great 'paper notebook substitute', about as perfect as that can be today.  Light and small and endless battery life and just the basics with no distractions and easy upload to computer.

[nathanscribe]

The screen's OK actually; I was worried it might feel ridiculously small, but it doesn't, even with the smallest font size.  Maybe I'll change my mind over time, we'll see.  It'd be nice to have a switchable backlight, but I've no complaints so far.

The Neo2 has limited IR functionality, though for some reason the updated software's not out for OSX yet... the other Applets aren't of much use to me personally but I can see them being good in an educational context.

I think there's ver little competition taking into account the price, functionality (ie, deliberately limited), weight, battery life and simplicity.  Aside from a netbook (smaller keys, less battery life, potential software issues) or an iPad with wireless keyboard (expensive and clumsy) I can't readily think of a reasonable direct alternative.

[wellington1869]

the dana had a switchable backlight.  but i rarely used it: it ate batteries when on, and 'hummed' audibly. You're prolly better off without one.

[wellington1869]

what do you use the neo for? what type of writing? fiction or non fiction? or maybe like a journal? Or like evernote to capture passing thoughts? or taking notes in class?

[nathanscribe]

I write fiction.  I'm currently beginning to dabble with Scrivener, which was recommended to me a few days ago as a useful writing-project software tool.  Not so much a word processor as a virtual desk, is the impression I get.  Wonder if you can download virtual coffee stains for it..?

[NamelessPFG]

Paper notebook substitute? Makes sense for plain text, like writing fiction; not so much for math equations/formulas or diagrams.

Then again, I'd probably see a lot less of those outside college.

Note that when I had a Neo, it was a note-taking tool. Great for capturing lots of plain text with my touch-typing skills.

[nathanscribe]

Yes, it seems great for banging out a draft, but I wouldn't like to edit with it.

Another advantage of the layout of the Neo is the way you can have a note book above it on the desk, as there's no flip-up screen getting in the way.  Much better than having reference material to one side or infront.

[wellington1869]

I write fiction.  I'm currently beginning to dabble with Scrivener, which was recommended to me a few days ago as a useful writing-project software tool.  Not so much a word processor as a virtual desk, is the impression I get.  Wonder if you can download virtual coffee stains for it..?

scrivener was the biggest reason i even used my mac as much as I did (i'm a pc guy but i have an ibook on the side).  scrivener *rocks* in every way. I loved it and looked long and hard for a windows equivalent. There wasnt any.

That said, some windows programs have begun to approximate its edit-the-chunk functionality: evernote, and Word 2010 where now you can drag and drop chunks directly to the outline when using the document map.

And that said, guess what I got in my email today:

Hello,

I'm the developer of Scrivener for the Mac and you are receiving this e-mail because at some point over the past year or so you signed up to receive news about a potential Windows version of Scrivener.

I know, since you signed up there has been nothing but tumbleweed.

But: Thanks for signing up, and I hope you're still interested - because finally we have some news. And the news is this:

Scrivener for Windows is on its way.

If you have forgotten entirely what Scrivener even is, well, it's a writing program that allows you to split up a long text into lots of small chunks, to edit them independently or together as one long document, to rearrange them on a corkboard or in an outliner, to view other documents - such as images and PDF files - alongside your text, and then to compile your manuscript into one long document for exporting to a word processor such as Microsoft Word, or for printing. I designed it to help me with my own writing as a wannabe novelist and someone who had to write a long dissertation. The Mac version is used by best-selling novelists, academics, lawyers, scriptwriters and many other writers. (You can read some of the testimonials of published writers at http://www.literatureandlatte.com/testimonials.html, but I'm not writing with the intention of giving you the hard sell.)

Enough preamble - onto the news:

• Scrivener for Windows has in fact been in development for the past two years.

• We hope to have it on sale early next year, in late January or February.

• We will be releasing a public beta late next month (around 25th October), so you will be able to download and try it very soon - in time for National Novel Writing Month ( http://www.nanowrimo.org ). (For those who have never used a beta before, a beta version is an early version that is mostly feature-complete but which hasn't been extensively tested yet. This means that there will be bugs we haven't found and it may crash occasionally. The idea of a public beta is that users who are intrepid and don't mind putting up with bugs can use it early to help us find the worst problems before it goes on sale to a wider user-base. Obviously therefore you should only use the beta if you are happy to put up with problems and back up regularly, but we'll give free copies to those who spend significant time and effort helping us track down bugs.) We'll release more news about where and how to download next month.

• When Scrivener for Windows goes on sale early next year it will cost $40 for the regular licence and $35 for the education licence.

• Scrivener for Windows will run on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

• Anyone who participates in NaNoWriMo this year and achieves their 50,000 words (and has them validated) will get a 50% discount coupon which they will be able to use when Scrivener for Windows is released next year.

• To whet your appetite, we have put together a small teaser video, which you can view here, along with more information:

http://www.scrivenerforwindows.com

We are aware that in the past year or two several Scrivener clones have appeared on Windows, but we really hope that you will try out Scrivener for Windows and that, if you were one of the many who have been telling us you wished we produced a version for Windows, you will be as excited as I am about this. The chief Windows developer is an Australian guy called Lee and he has done an amazing job in turning the version of Scrivener I designed for the Mac into a fully-native Windows application.

Thanks again for your interest in Scrivener. If you have any questions, please drop David a line at sales@literatureandlatte.com and he'll be happy to answer them, and please feel free to drop by the user forums at http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forums too.

All the best,
Keith

[NamelessPFG]

That looks pretty interesting. I want to try it out. Too bad I'm in cheapskate mode at the moment...

Also, it looks like a nice way to dedicate even that decade-old PowerBook of mine to typewriting. Software like that shouldn't be hindered much by a 400 MHz G3.